MWSA Interview with Gary L. Wilhelm

Interview date: 7 October 2020

Gary Wilhelm is a retired engineer with a master’s degree from South Dakota State University, who did research and development work in America, Asia, and Europe for consumer, commercial, and military products, during a career of several decades. In addition to being a civilian engineer embedded with the Marines during the Vietnam War in 1968 and 1969, he worked developing products ranging from EF Johnson citizens band radio, and the Texas Instruments home computer, communications technology for use within buildings, and with medical devices implanted within the body, to the Howitzer Improvement Program (HIP) for army artillery on the battlefield. He was also a representative on a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) committee. He hosted the USA meeting of the committee at Honeywell.

MWSA: Would you recommend MWSA membership to other authors?

I would highly recommend MWSA to any military writers for the community and learning opportunities.

MWSA: What was your inspiration for your book, Good Afternoon Vietnam, a Civilian in the Vietnam War?

Watching the Ken Burns Vietnam War series, I realized my story was unique. I wanted to write it for friends and family.

MWSA: How does your book begin?

PBS in Minnesota has a Vietnam Story Wall at MNVietnam.org and I wrote my first story for the wall. I was pleased to have the opportunity to share my story in this way. Then, I felt I wanted to write more about my time there in 1968 and 1969.

MWSA: Where does the book take place?

I was based in DaNang, and for security reasons, traveled to several countries in SE Asia to communicate.

MWSA: Why were you a civilian in the Vietnam War?

The Marine Airwing wanted civilian engineering support for their electronic intelligence (ELINT) program.

MWSA: Where is your book available, and in what formats?

The paperback and eBook is available on Amazon. It is also in several libraries.